Page 19 of Just Like This
Horrified, I looked up to see Garrett ready to come to my rescue, and Nikki, who didn’t look a damn bit sorry even though she said the words. I swallowed every curse word and insult that bubbled up because it wouldn’t help the situation.
“Are you okay?” Garrett asked, concern etched all over his face. He thrust a wad of napkins into my hand that I used to wipe down my neck and chest.
“I’ll be wet for pretty much the entire concert, but I’m fine.”
“Come with me,” he said, taking me by the arm and leading me down the row and out of our section.
I followed Garrett onto the concourse and over to the nearest merchandise booth. The line was unexpectedly short despite the first opening act getting ready to take the stage.
“Pick one,” Garrett insisted, pointing toward the display of T-shirts. He started to reach into his pocket and pull out his wallet, but I held out a hand and stopped him.
“You don’t have to. It’ll be fine.” He bought me a T-shirt anyway and held it out to me with a nervous smile. I accepted it before excusing myself to change. I stepped out of the bathroom adjusting the fit of the tank top that was more form fitting than my previous shirt. When I looked up, Garrett was staring at me with a heated look. “What’s the matter?”
“The other shirt looked better,” he growled. I did my best to hide my grin, but it wasn’t hard to miss the throb of desire that made my entire core tighten.
We started walking back to our section. Before we entered the stadium, Garrett stopped and pulled me against him with a dizzying spin. “Let’s wait a moment,” he said softly. His eyes were on my lips, and I wanted so badly for him to just close the tiny distance between us and kiss me. Instead, he pulled back slightly as the lights dimmed, and the opening act started to play.
With my arms wrapped around him, I could feel him tense. The stadium was dark and loud and completely full. My hands traced light paths up and down his back until I felt him relax. The opening act was good, a solo female pop performer who had a kind of an electronic sound. I recognized one of her songs from the radio and hummed along. When her set ended, I faced Garrett and looked up at him with worried eyes.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what?”
He gave me a wry smile. “For being here with me tonight.” He pressed me against the wall and devoured me whole with one perfect kiss. My knees trembled. My heart beat wildly in my chest. Garrett started to pull back, but I tangled my fingers in his thick hair and guided his face back toward mine where I reciprocated, branding him with my lips. Claiming him as mine.
Slowly, our kiss was replaced with shy, nervous smiles. “I feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime for a kiss like that,” I confessed breathlessly. My body was humming, and my lips were tingling because of what Garrett had just done. Tonight was all about having fun, letting loose and forgetting about life.
Garrett kissed me lightly on the forehead and murmured, “Me too,” before we headed back to the concourse. He bought a second round of drinks, and we finally returned to our section. Jackson was the only one who engaged us in conversation because Palmer and Nikki were both engrossed in their cell phones. I watched Garrett as he talked with Jackson; he seemed relaxed and lighter, which put me at ease. His arm slipped casually around the back of my seat, and his hand cupped my shoulder. His thumb traced circles underneath the sleeve of my top before he withdrew his touch. My skin chilled instantly. He had warmed every inch of me with that modest touch, and I missed it immediately.
I was so relaxed and happy as I waited for the second set that I barely registered Nikki getting up until she bumped into my knee. I looked up to see her leering down at me. “Excuse me,” she snarled. I quickly readjusted myself to let her pass.
“What’s her problem?” I muttered. No one answered me as the lights dimmed again, and the second act started.
They were a more well-known band, and my foot bobbed along to their music. The songs that I knew, I happily sang along to, but I was always aware of Garrett. He tried to remain relaxed and happy but ultimately failed. I let my hand fall to the side and slipped it into his, which no one noticed. He glanced down at our tangled fingers before leaning back against the seat of his chair and closing his eyes. I couldn’t begin to understand the kind of emotional turmoil he was dealing with right now. When the second act ended, and the lights came back on, he breathed out a heavy sigh and dropped my hand before running his hands up and down his thighs nervously and shaking his head. I wondered how he would handle the rest of the concert.
My foot anxiously tapped, waiting for Coldplay to take the stage. They were my absolute favorite band, and I had only seen them once before in high school with Palmer. I peered down the row and, sure enough, he was wearing the T-shirt we bought that night. It was my second concert, and my parents reluctantly let Palmer drive us to Seattle so we could see the show, but we had a strict curfew. There were no second encores for us. Palmer must have sensed that I was watching him because he looked up and our eyes met.
“You still have the T-shirt from our first concert together,” I called out.
“Yeah,” he replied curtly, effectively ending our conversation. That was disappointing.
Before I could respond, the lights in the stadium turned off, and the crowd started to cheer wildly. My excitement overwhelmed me, and I sprang to my feet. I started to cheer wildly with everyone else in the stadium. My heart beat loudly in my chest, and I turned back toward Garrett, grinning. I reached out and latched onto his hands, shaking them before I cried out, “Oh my god!” right as the band began to play the first chords of their opening song.
Garrett’s hands snaked around my waist as he joined me in singing loudly and dancing. Being at the concert itself was unbelievable but sharing this moment with Garrett was something entirely new and wonderful. I rocked in the circle of his embrace and sang along loudly, letting Garrett’s touch and the music fill me with joy.
When the first song ended, I realized I had completely forgotten about Garrett’s anxiety. “Are you okay?” I asked, searching for tension in his jaw and stiffness in his body. Instead, I found him relaxed and happy.
“I’m perfect,” he shouted with a wide grin, bringing me back against his chest.
The second song started, and Garrett’s hold on me tightened. I relished the feeling of having his arms wrapped around me. I danced and sang in the comfortable space he provided, but he was always close, ready and willing to pull me right back against him. And then it happened.Magic.
“Turn around,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. Nervous butterflies sprang to life inside my belly as I stepped to face him. He lifted my arms until they were around his neck, and his hands were firm on my hips. We swayed together to the rhythm of the song. I sang along softly as I rested my head against his chest. I felt a vibration in his chest and knew that he was doing the same. This was magic, this was the truth, and he was the only person in the entire world that I wanted. Since we’d met, he had been in my head, and now he was finding his way into my heart.
I felt his hands slide up my back and then tangle into my hair. He tugged lightly, and I lifted my face to meet his heated gaze. That first kiss we had shared was fierce and desperate. This kiss happened both slowly and quickly. It seemed to take forever for our lips to connect, but when they did, my entire body ignited, and I couldn’t get enough. I molded myself against his body, and he tightened his hold on me. I could feel his erection hard against my belly, and I moaned slightly. God, I wanted him so badly that it was frustrating. I guess I would finally find out if good things really did come to those who waited. He growled as I tried to pull away and shook his head before his lips devoured me in a final, searing kiss.
As we broke apart, I caught sight of Palmer staring at us. His jaw was set, and there was an angry glint in his eye. I took a step back away from Garrett. I had gotten carried away, lost in my emotions, and had forgotten the boundaries I set. I’d forgotten there was another person whose emotions mattered in this complicated equation. I should have instantly regretted my actions and apologized for my behavior, but I didn’t. I couldn’t because my heart and brain were both in sync and were both screamingmore, more, more.
